Caster



R. M. POST.

CASTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. H. 1921.

Patented July 5, 1921..

FL 00!? LINE FLOOR LINE y in FLOOR u/vs i lJlTE orricq CAST; 1 "E.

Specification. of Letters latent.

AppIication filed February 11, N21. Serial No. 4%,184.

lVisconsimhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to casters for acticles of furniture, pianos, Victrolas. and the like, which. are usually. supported in such manner that they may be easily moved from place to place, and the ohject of my invention is to provide casters which may he easily applied, will not accidentally separate from the object which they support. and which can he quickly and conveniently adjusted to accommodate inequalities in the length of" the legs of the article or in the floor level.

lln carrying out my invention l provide socket memhcrs adapted to enter holes 'l'ornicd therefor in the ohject to he sup ported and which arc so constructed as to he firmly securcd in placc. 'lhcsc socltct memhcrs also are formed with devices which. while pcrmittiinr thespindlcs of the casters to enter the sockets. prevent them from accidentally separating therefrom. 'lhe castcr whccls or rollers are mounted in y kcs each of which carrics a spindle adapted to cntcr a socket memhcr of the kind ahovc 'mcntioncd. There is a hall hcarin; hctwccn the yoke and the spindle pcrmittin; lhc yolic and thc rollcr to freely turn ahout a vertical axis. The lowcr portion ol thc spindle is screw threaded and re eives an adjusting nut while thc middle portion ol the spindlc is not threaded and fits closely. hut without hindingr the lower part ol the socket. in upper portion oi" the spindlc is ol reduced diameter while the top of tho spindlc is formed with a head which fits lllc horc ol thc socket.

5y this constrlu-tion tho sockcl. nicinhcrs may lic casily placed in position and sccurcly hold in, pla c. 'lhc spindlcs can he quickly mountcd in the soclccts and will remain thcrc without dan gcr oi separation and the casl'crs may he {IlYCll thodcsircd vcrtical adiuslmcnt to hold the ohjcct properly halanccd or stahilizcd.

lo the accompan vino" drawings:-

Figure l is a scctional vicw ol' the lower portion ol' thc log of a piece ol furniture with the casl'cr emhodying my iroprorcmcnts pplied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing avertical adjustment.

Fig. 3 is also similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but shows how, while the caster may he moved vertically in the socket. it is prevented from separating; therefrom.

l have shown my improvements applied to the lee of an article of furniture, but it may he applied to other objects which the caster is to support.

The wheel or roller A is mounted to turn ahout a horizontal axis in a yoke B. the top platc I, ofwhich is formed with an annular groove to receive antilriction balls (I. The halls are hcld'in place by a cap plate C- hcld on the halls by a shouldered enlargement c on the spindle D, which latteris 'lUllllWl with a cylindrical part if extending through the plates l; and The spindle is also formed with a head d hetwcen which and the part 71 is interposed a washer c. In this way a connection is made hetween the spindlc and the yoke which permits the yoke and roller to rotate ahout the vertical axis of the spindle on anti-friction halls. The lowcr part of thc spindlc is threaded at and rcccivcs an adjusting nut l. 'lhis nut is of special construction. lt has a rim 7 which is prcl'crahly knurled as shown and it has a hoss f ahovc the knurled rim. This construction has advantages inasmuch as the knurled rim to which the hand is applied when adjusting the nut is a considerable dis tance hclow the lcg ol the furniture or the cod ol' the socket piece so that the nut can hc'vcry conveniently adjusted. The middle, portion ol the spindle is preferably cylim drical and the upper portion 4'' is 0? reduced diamclcr and merges into a top portion or hcad 1/ ol' the same diameter as the lower part 1/. The socket memhcr (l is adapted to cntcr, as showina hole formed in the 'l'nrniturc lcg ll which it closely lits. At its lower cud lhc socket mcmher is 'l'ornied with a flange scrratcd as shown so that when drircn house it will tlllio lirm hold on the leg. lntcrmcdiato its upper and lower ends the social nicmhcr is formed with an annular groove and a corresponding head or rih 1 which is adapted to yield to permit the spindle to he inserted, hut which prevents the spindle from dropping out of its socket.

A ftcr the socltct has hcen applied to the leg in the manner shown in the scveral ligurcs ol' the drawings, the spindle carrying: the not, the yoke and the roller may he inserted,

Patented Julya', 1921.

into the socket, its head 03 being forced past the rib g. Thereafter the spindle is prevented from separating from the socket; The nut F is made to engage the flange g of the socket member and the caster is held a longer or shorter distance from the leg corresponding with the position of the nut.

In Fig.1 the caster is held close to the leg, the nut F being screwed down to its full extent.

In Fig. 2 the caster is held its greatest distance from the leg, the nut being raised to its limit. Intermediate adjustments may, of course, be made, and in this way by properly adjusting the different casters, the object to which the casters are applied may be properly balanced or stabilized.

Fig. 3 illustrates the fact that the caster cannot drop out of its socket, its movement being limited by the rib g, but the distance between the parts (i and (Z is such as to allow of the desired adjustments.

It will also be observed that when the caster is put on the market, the socket member and the spindle with other parts supported thereby can be connected and are not apt to be separated. The several parts may be made of any suitable meta-l. Some of the parts which are shown in the accompanying drawings as being made of sheet metal may, it is obvious, be made of cast orwrought metal for different purposes.

I claim as my invention:

1. A caster, comprising a yoke, a roller pivotally mounted therein, a spindle having a threaded lower portion, a middle unthreaded portion, a headed upper end and a part be-' tween the head and the middle portion of reduced diameter, a ball bearing between the yoke and the spindle, anda nut carried by the threaded portion of the spindle.

2. The combination of a tubular socket member having a yielding rib between its upper and lower ends, and a caster comprising aroller, its frame, a spindle connected with the frame and which has a threaded lower portion, an unthreaded intermediate portion which closely fits the socket member, a headed upper end which closely fits the socket member, and an intermediate portion of reduced diameter between the head and the unthreaded intermediate portion, and a nut carried by the threaded portion of the spindle.

3. The combination of a socket member having a yielding rib between its upper and lower ends and having a flanged serrated lower end, and a caster comprising a roller, its frame, a spindle connected with the frame and which has a threaded lower portion, an unthreaded intermediate portion closely fitting the socket, a headed upper end arranged in the socket above the yielding rib and closelv fitting said socket, and an unthreadedintermediate portion of less diameter than the diameter of the socket where the yielding rib is located, and a nut carried by the threaded portion of the spindle comprising a rim serving as a handle, and a boss above the rim adapted to engage the flanged portion of the socket.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ROBERT M. rosT. 

